Bauhaus, which opened in 1993, has serious cafe zeitgeist. It's in the concrete floors, the exposed brick walls, the scruffy chairs, the immense bookshelves that reach to the high ceiling. It's in the old windows of the former furniture store, with its second-floor balcony and the occasional dog lying on the floor (free dog treats in the jar on the counter).

But much of its flavor is in the people-watching, both in the cafe and the passers-by in the Capitol Hill street scene. From the men reading ESPN sports scores on their laptops to the women wearing funky vintage clothes and zany stockings, to the folks with red hair and skull-and-crossbones on their black leather jackets, there's a wonderfully non-homogenous jumble of humanity here.

Owned by Joel Radin and Michael Klebeck, who also own Top Pot Doughnuts with a partner, Bauhaus is one of a few coffeehouses to keep late-night hours.

Naturally, they serve Top Pot coffee, which is bold and nutty, not to mention cheaper than at many cafes and chains. Food is the usual suspects: donuts (Top Pot, of course) and pastries from Essential and Wisteria bakeries. It's nice that they offer savory, stuffed croissants to augment the sweets.